jcj528
11-08-2009, 07:43 AM
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/jcj52855/HiImZack.jpg
It doesn’t seem possible, but it has been six months since Zack went to the Rainbow Bridge. Over that time, I have sat down to many times write a fitting memorial to the one who was constantly at my side for almost all of his eight year life span. The effort usually ended in tears and so I put it aside for a better day. Now to honor the sixth month of his passing, I think I can really tell you all how much I treasured our all too brief time together.
For all the things that Zack wasn’t – obedient, intelligent, athletic or quiet – he more than made up for all that by putting his whole being into everything he did. He was, in every sense of the name, – The True Exuberant Corgi. His exuberance could, from time to time, be embarrassing, but it made him the most fun dog I’ve ever known!
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/jcj52855/MyBabyasaBaby.jpg
Zack always wanted to play with anyone and everyone. I remember one time when we were at the vet’s. He was probably just about two maybe three years old at the time. At first, we were in the waiting room alone. But then another person-dog couple entered. In the arc proscribed by the length of his lead, Zack did these straight up in the air bunny hops trying to get to the two of them to play with him. The big mastiff didn’t seem to notice the tri colored pointy eared flea trying to get his attention, but the person part of the duo looked at me and asked, “He always like this.” I nodded. The guy said in a commiserating tone, “it must be fun.” I doubt that the guy ever knew how right he was. I loved Zack’s bunny hops!
I confess, Zack stole stuff! He was a klepto-corgi. His favorite loot was my socks. When I got home at night and took off my shoes, he would be right there to make a quick get away with one or both of my socks. Then he would dash down the main hall away of the house and start his favorite game, “Chase the Corgi.” He would find a suitable place from which to stare at me with my sock or socks in his mouth and defy me to come and get them. Of course, when I got close, he would be off like a shot and I would be laughing my head off. He could keep this up for hours but generally I caved and traded him a treat for my sock. Seeing him sit on my sofa with my sock in his mouth will be a memory I will cherish forever.
While Zack was limited in some talents possessed by the majority of corgis, he excelled in one in particular. Zack could catch a kernel of popcorn from at least 20 feet. He would be right by my feet from the moment when I took the microwave popcorn from the pantry. Once he heard the popping start, he would get really excited and start dancing around. When the popcorn was ready, Zack would rush to the living room knowing what was coming. Every few minutes, I flick a kernel in the air, Zack would leap from his spot by my feet to where he knew it would land, open his mouth and neatly catch the kernel. Even to the end of his time, we enjoyed this special activity together.
Zack was very opinionated. If he did not like a correction I gave him, he would bark back at me. It didn’t matter to him where we were. One time we were at the PetSmart where he took the CGC test. It was a year or two after, he passed the exam. I was walking down one of the aisles and Zack decided that he needed to investigate one of the stuffies that were on display. As he started to reach for it, I gave him a stern “leave it.” He sat down on his little corgi butt and barked back at me several times as if to say, “but I want it.” In order to shut him up, I caved and gave him the stuffy. I then looked up into the person who had been his CGC evaluator. As I hurried to the checkout line to pay for Zack’s ill-gotten gains, I felt his eyes peering into my back. I shrugged it off. I figured the guy couldn’t possibly remember that he had once awarded this pushy little beastie a CGC title. Even that made me laugh. Zack brightened when I started chuckling and he bounced his way back to the car extremely proud of himself that he had won another one. Even his ability to train me to do his bidding was part of our bond. If you could have asked him, he would have assured you that while sometimes his human pet was disobedient, generally speaking she did what he demanded. I doubt he ever figured out who belonged to whom. I might have had it a bit crossed as well.
As you all know, Zack was named after former Miami Dolphins Defensive Lineman, Zach Thomas. So it seemed only fitting that he and I watched the Dolphins play together. It was so funny, whenever Zach had a good play, I would cheer and say something along the lines of “Yay, Zach.” Well, you know who always thought it was for him and he would bark with pride at my praise. I hope he never figured out that it really was for the little figure running around on the TV screen. Now I’m not sure, it was.
Zack could do something that I’m sure all of your corgis can and often choose to do. Zack could stretch himself across my queen size bed so that there almost no room in it for me. He was a champion bed hogger. In the Miami winters, it was actually comforting to have his warm back snuggled along my back. But it the hot Miami summers, it was pretty awful. Many times, I would help him down to the floor on a hot night, only to have him back by side in moments. He really was adamant about getting his own way. I never really minded, though. It was just another thing that allowed me to laugh out loud over.
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/jcj52855/Zackcontinuestoexplore.jpg
Zack was indeed the ultimate Exuberant Corgi. Whether it was playing “Chase the Corgi,” “Catch the Popcorn,” “Hog the Bed," pushing me around or just watching football on television, Zack put his all into everything. His exuberance could be a bit embarrassing in public but even then it was part of what made him so endearing. I had more fun and laughed more with him than any other animal I have ever known. I loved him so much. I really miss him.
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/jcj52855/ZacksBirthdayPortrait09.jpg
Some of you may have noticed that I have distanced myself from this community for the last six weeks or so. Some of that has to do with being busy with work, some of that has to do with my spending too much of my available on line time with Facebook. But mostly it has to do with my embarassment of not having given Zack his due. Now that I have done the best I could to make sure that Zack was properly remembered, I will be back. Please know that I and my three corgis (Zoey the Pem, Shaun the Cardi and Ziggy the Honorary) are fine.
Oh, one last thing - the other day I dropped a sock on the way to the laundry and when I reached down to get it, it was snatched away. After jumping on to the sofa, Shaun looked back at me with my sock in his mouth . . .
It doesn’t seem possible, but it has been six months since Zack went to the Rainbow Bridge. Over that time, I have sat down to many times write a fitting memorial to the one who was constantly at my side for almost all of his eight year life span. The effort usually ended in tears and so I put it aside for a better day. Now to honor the sixth month of his passing, I think I can really tell you all how much I treasured our all too brief time together.
For all the things that Zack wasn’t – obedient, intelligent, athletic or quiet – he more than made up for all that by putting his whole being into everything he did. He was, in every sense of the name, – The True Exuberant Corgi. His exuberance could, from time to time, be embarrassing, but it made him the most fun dog I’ve ever known!
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/jcj52855/MyBabyasaBaby.jpg
Zack always wanted to play with anyone and everyone. I remember one time when we were at the vet’s. He was probably just about two maybe three years old at the time. At first, we were in the waiting room alone. But then another person-dog couple entered. In the arc proscribed by the length of his lead, Zack did these straight up in the air bunny hops trying to get to the two of them to play with him. The big mastiff didn’t seem to notice the tri colored pointy eared flea trying to get his attention, but the person part of the duo looked at me and asked, “He always like this.” I nodded. The guy said in a commiserating tone, “it must be fun.” I doubt that the guy ever knew how right he was. I loved Zack’s bunny hops!
I confess, Zack stole stuff! He was a klepto-corgi. His favorite loot was my socks. When I got home at night and took off my shoes, he would be right there to make a quick get away with one or both of my socks. Then he would dash down the main hall away of the house and start his favorite game, “Chase the Corgi.” He would find a suitable place from which to stare at me with my sock or socks in his mouth and defy me to come and get them. Of course, when I got close, he would be off like a shot and I would be laughing my head off. He could keep this up for hours but generally I caved and traded him a treat for my sock. Seeing him sit on my sofa with my sock in his mouth will be a memory I will cherish forever.
While Zack was limited in some talents possessed by the majority of corgis, he excelled in one in particular. Zack could catch a kernel of popcorn from at least 20 feet. He would be right by my feet from the moment when I took the microwave popcorn from the pantry. Once he heard the popping start, he would get really excited and start dancing around. When the popcorn was ready, Zack would rush to the living room knowing what was coming. Every few minutes, I flick a kernel in the air, Zack would leap from his spot by my feet to where he knew it would land, open his mouth and neatly catch the kernel. Even to the end of his time, we enjoyed this special activity together.
Zack was very opinionated. If he did not like a correction I gave him, he would bark back at me. It didn’t matter to him where we were. One time we were at the PetSmart where he took the CGC test. It was a year or two after, he passed the exam. I was walking down one of the aisles and Zack decided that he needed to investigate one of the stuffies that were on display. As he started to reach for it, I gave him a stern “leave it.” He sat down on his little corgi butt and barked back at me several times as if to say, “but I want it.” In order to shut him up, I caved and gave him the stuffy. I then looked up into the person who had been his CGC evaluator. As I hurried to the checkout line to pay for Zack’s ill-gotten gains, I felt his eyes peering into my back. I shrugged it off. I figured the guy couldn’t possibly remember that he had once awarded this pushy little beastie a CGC title. Even that made me laugh. Zack brightened when I started chuckling and he bounced his way back to the car extremely proud of himself that he had won another one. Even his ability to train me to do his bidding was part of our bond. If you could have asked him, he would have assured you that while sometimes his human pet was disobedient, generally speaking she did what he demanded. I doubt he ever figured out who belonged to whom. I might have had it a bit crossed as well.
As you all know, Zack was named after former Miami Dolphins Defensive Lineman, Zach Thomas. So it seemed only fitting that he and I watched the Dolphins play together. It was so funny, whenever Zach had a good play, I would cheer and say something along the lines of “Yay, Zach.” Well, you know who always thought it was for him and he would bark with pride at my praise. I hope he never figured out that it really was for the little figure running around on the TV screen. Now I’m not sure, it was.
Zack could do something that I’m sure all of your corgis can and often choose to do. Zack could stretch himself across my queen size bed so that there almost no room in it for me. He was a champion bed hogger. In the Miami winters, it was actually comforting to have his warm back snuggled along my back. But it the hot Miami summers, it was pretty awful. Many times, I would help him down to the floor on a hot night, only to have him back by side in moments. He really was adamant about getting his own way. I never really minded, though. It was just another thing that allowed me to laugh out loud over.
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/jcj52855/Zackcontinuestoexplore.jpg
Zack was indeed the ultimate Exuberant Corgi. Whether it was playing “Chase the Corgi,” “Catch the Popcorn,” “Hog the Bed," pushing me around or just watching football on television, Zack put his all into everything. His exuberance could be a bit embarrassing in public but even then it was part of what made him so endearing. I had more fun and laughed more with him than any other animal I have ever known. I loved him so much. I really miss him.
http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/jcj52855/ZacksBirthdayPortrait09.jpg
Some of you may have noticed that I have distanced myself from this community for the last six weeks or so. Some of that has to do with being busy with work, some of that has to do with my spending too much of my available on line time with Facebook. But mostly it has to do with my embarassment of not having given Zack his due. Now that I have done the best I could to make sure that Zack was properly remembered, I will be back. Please know that I and my three corgis (Zoey the Pem, Shaun the Cardi and Ziggy the Honorary) are fine.
Oh, one last thing - the other day I dropped a sock on the way to the laundry and when I reached down to get it, it was snatched away. After jumping on to the sofa, Shaun looked back at me with my sock in his mouth . . .